Few periods in the school year are more stressful than exam season. Suddenly, your bright, happy child might become a ball of anxious worry. As a parent, you’ll hate to see this. Luckily, you can do a lot more than simply sit back and watch them suffer.
The support you offer your child at home during this period can make a huge difference to how well they weather the exam storm. While you can’t entirely remove exam stressors, the following survival guide could at least help you to ease the burden a little.
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Help Them Prepare
Preparation is key for helping your child feel in control even in the depths of their exams, and there are plenty of resources to help with this. It’s especially worth speaking with their school about any specific websites they already use in class, as this ensures you’re reaching for resources your child is already familiar with.
You may also prefer to seek additional preparation on subjects that your child is less confident with, such as maths. Platforms like Math Help provide vital test prep and tuition on a subscription basis, and this extra helping hand could make a huge difference for your child’s exam outlook. Simply take the time to ask them what they need the most help with, and work together to find the best prep options possible.
Offer Practical Reassurance
You’ll want to reassure your child during exam season, but it’s worth thinking about what purpose those reassurances serve. Platitudes like ‘try not to worry’ offer no practical advice, and may even make your child feel more isolated, or like there’s no point telling you how they feel moving forward.
A far better option would be to offer practical reassurances that help to address stress at its root and ensure that your child feels heard and supported. You certainly shouldn’t discard their fears with blanket statements, but should instead acknowledge their feelings. Then, suggest practical reassurances like calming deep breathing exercises that give them actionable steps to take to feel better.
Maintain Perspective
Exams feel like the be all and end all when you’re going through them, and teachers and parents are often guilty of adding to that stress. But, injecting perspective can make a huge difference in minimizing exam stress levels. After all, if you keep reminding your child of the importance of these exams for their future (which is something they’ll be fully aware of), the walls of their stress will soon start to close in.
Instead, be honest about the fact that, while they should always try their best, they will be okay whatever the outcome. It’s especially important to remind them that you’re proud of them, and that exams aren’t going to change that. This way, they can enter exam season feeling supported, positive, and less like their entire lives rest on these few weeks.
Exam season is hard enough without the stress it often brings. Make your child’s life easier with this survival guide.
For more on this topic, check out the full Back To School collection
